Quality will need to become more of a focus as service industries realize that competing on price alone isn’t a viable, long-term business strategy, according to authors of the American Society for Quality’s Quality Index.“ISO management systems and Six Sigma have long been a staple of the manufacturing industry, and prove that when implemented successfully and strategically, quality pays big,” says Jerry Mairani, ASQ president-elect. “In the near future, we will witness more nonmanufacturing, service-based corporations beginning to incorporate quality systems into their operations and adopt quality programs and technologies.”

The Quality Index for the first quarter of 2005 reveals a 2-percent downtrend because of customer dissatisfaction with hospitals, fast-food chains, hotels and airlines, although some measured sectors registered notable quality increases.

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